Modular display unit for cylindrical products, in particular tubes of sweets, and modular element for composition of the same

ABSTRACT

A display unit for cylindrical products, in particular tubes of sweets, includes at least one modular basket element  2 , a support base  3  and a cover cap  4 , the basket element including a perforated base part  5 , an external shell  6  and a central tubular body shaped so as to allow stacking of several elements  2 , the shell  6  having internally a plurality of concave seats  8  suitable for housing products  11  and forming externally convexities  9  separated by concave recesses  10.

The object of the present invention is a modular display unit for cylindrical products, in particular confectionary products and more particularly tubes of sweets, composed of modular elements.

The invention also relates to the modular element for the composition of the display unit.

Display units for tubes of sweets are widespread yet each of them has at least some disadvantages, relating for example to filling of the same with the products, taking the products therefrom, the quantity of products contained in relation to the overall dimensions, the possibility of containing diversified products, and so on.

The present invention sets out to avoid these disadvantages, proposing a display unit for tubes of sweets which is modular in order to be able to spread out its capacity for containing so as to adapt to the various needs of the user, which allows easy filling with the products and equally easy taking of the same from any position, and allows the organised display of diversified products, which has limited overall dimensions and which can be assembled simply and rapidly.

This object is achieved by the display unit according to the invention, which has the features of the annexed independent claim 1 and which is composed of modular elements.

Preferred embodiments of the invention are disclosed by the dependent claims.

Substantially, the display unit according to the invention for cylindrical products, in particular tubes of sweets, comprises at least one modular element for stacking on an identical element and having the shape of a basket with a corrugated shell so as to form a plurality of seats for housing tubes with an arched profile, and a central tubular body which rises above the height of said shell.

The central tubular body has a conical shape with upward tapering, so that it can be inserted partially in the tubular body of an element above to allow stacking of the elements. Obviously the same result can be obtained by providing a widening at the base of the tubular element.

The shell of the basket instead has a conical shape with upward widening, in such a way that the tubes housed in the seats of the same are slightly tilted outwards so that they can be taken out easily.

In the case of stacking of several modular elements, the concave seats of one are arranged staggered in relation to those of the other, so that the tubes housed in an element below do not interfere with the convexity of the seats of the element above. The display unit likewise has a widened support base for greater stability and is completed by a cover cap.

Further features of the invention will be made clearer by the following detailed description relating to one of its embodiments given purely by way of a non-limiting example, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a display unit according to the invention, composed of four modular elements and complete with products;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view from above of a display unit with three elements, with products and without the cover cap;

FIG. 3 is a blown-up view of the component parts of the display unit according to the invention: modular element, support base and cover cap;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view from above of a modular element.

Referring to these drawings, a description is now given of the display unit for cylindrical products, in particular confectionary products, and more particularly tubes of sweets, according to the invention, denoted overall by reference numeral 1.

It is composed of at least one and preferably a plurality of modular elements 2, whereto a support base 3 and a cover cap 4 can be attached.

The modular element 2, forming the basic component of the display unit 1, and which could act as a display unit on its own, has the configuration of a basket, having a base part 5 perforated centrally, a peripheral shell 6 e and a central tubular body 7 which rises up from the base 5, projecting considerably beyond the height of the shell 6.

In the embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings the central tubular body 7 has a conical shape with upward tapering so that it can be inserted partially in the tubular body of an element 2 above, so as to allow the stacking of several elements and obtain the modular display unit 1 illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2.

Obviously the stacking of the various elements 2 can be obtained by providing the cylindrical tubular body 7 with a widening at its base, so as to be able to house the upper section of the tubular body of a modular element below.

The shell 6 of the basket element 2 has a corrugated development so as to have internally a plurality of concave seats with a cylindrical profile 8, whereto the convexities 9 correspond externally, separated by concave recesses 10.

As can be seen in the drawings, the shell 6 splays upwards slightly so that the tubes of sweets 11 are arranged in the seats 8 with a slight tilt outwards, which makes it easier to remove them and prevents them from interfering with the shell of the basket above (FIGS. 1 and 2).

In this respect, in order to avoid the risk of this interference, in the composition of the display unit 1 the basket elements 2 are oriented and staggered one in relation to the other so that the internal seats 8, or the external convexities 9 of the shell of a basket element, are arranged aligned with the concave recesses 10 of the shell of the basket elements 2 above and below, so that the projecting sections of the tubes of sweets 11 are positioned at these recesses 10, without interfering with the convexities 9.

The support base 3 of the display unit has a widened body 20 for greater stability, from which a conical section 21 rises up, suitable for inserting in the tubular body 7 in the first modular basket element 2 of the display unit.

The display unit is then completed by the cover cap 34, also with a conical shape, which is attached at the end of the tubular body 7 of the last basket element 2, i.e. the uppermost one.

The cap 4 can have a corrugated projecting base 22, which can serve to hold in the correct position the tubes 11 in contact with it, as can be seen in FIG. 1.

In the embodiment of FIG. 1, a disk 23, with information on the products displayed, is attached to the cover cap 4.

The above description makes clear the advantages of the display unit for tubes of sweets according to the invention.

It can in fact be composed of any number of modular basket elements 2, in accordance with the spaces available, and allows 360° displaying of the tubes 11, which can also be arranged diversified in an organised fashion for each basket, and allow easy removal thanks to the tilting arrangement of the same and the considerable projection of the baskets.

Naturally the invention is not limited to the particular embodiment described previously and illustrated in the accompanying drawings and numerous detail modifications can be made thereto, within the reach of a person skilled in the art, without thereby departing from the sphere of the invention as defined by the following claims. 

1. Modular display unit for cylindrical products, in particular confectionary products, and more particularly tubes of sweets, comprising at least one modular basket element (2) comprising a perforated central base (5), a peripheral shell (6) and a central tubular body (7) rising up from said base (5) and projecting beyond the height of the shell (6), said shell (6) having a plurality of internal concave seats (8) suitable for housing said tubes (11), said seats (8) forming externally concavities (9) separated by recesses (10).
 2. Display unit according to claim 1, characterised in that said tubular body (7) has a conical shape tapering upwards.
 3. Display unit according to claim 1, characterised in that said tubular body (7) has a cylindrical shape with widening at the base.
 4. Display unit according to claim 1, characterised in that said shell (6) splays upwards.
 5. Display unit according to claim 1, wherein each modular basket element (2) has a staggered orientation in relation to the corresponding elements above and below, so that its seats (8) are arranged in line with the recesses (10) thereof.
 6. Display unit according to claim 1, also comprising a support base (3) and a cover cap (4).
 7. Display unit according to claim 6, wherein said base (3) has a widened body (20) wherefrom a central body (21) rises up, suitable for inserting in the lowest modular basket element (2) of the display unit (1).
 8. Display unit according to claim 6, characterised in that said cover cap (4) has a base projecting radially with a corrugated profile (22).
 9. Display unit according to claim 8, wherein an information disk (23) is attached to said cap (4).
 10. Modular basket element (2) for the composition of a display unit for cylindrical products (11) according to claim 1, comprising a perforated base part (5), a peripheral shell (6) and a central tubular body (7), said shell (6) having internally a plurality of concave seats (8) suitable for housing the products (11), said seats (8) forming externally convexities (9) separated by recesses (10), said tubular body (7) being shaped in such a way as to allow the stacking of identical basket elements (2).
 11. Modular basket element (2) according to claim 10, characterised in that said tubular body (7) has a conical shape tapering upwards.
 12. Modular element (2) according to claim 10, wherein said tubular body (7) has a cylindrical shape with widening at the base.
 13. Modular element (2) according to claim 10, characterised in that said shell (6) splays upwards.
 14. Display unit according to claim 7, characterised in that said cover cap (4) has a base projecting radially with a corrugated profile (22). 